Majority and Minority Leaders
| Senator | Years | Majority Leader |
|---|
| Lyndon B. Johnson (D-TX) | 8 | 1955-1961 |
| Hugh D. Scott, Jr. (R-PA) | 8 | – |
| Trent Lott (R-MS) | 6.5 | 1996-2001 |
| George J. Mitchell (D-ME) | 6 | 1989-1995 |
November 8, 1994: Republican Revolution: The Republican Party won control of both the House and the Senate in midterm congressional elections, the first time in 40 years the Republicans secured control of both houses of Congress.
| 107th United States Congress |
|---|
| Senate Majority | Democratic (until January 20, 2001) Republican (Jan 20, 2001 – Jun 6, 2001) Democratic (from June 6, 2001) |
| Senate President | Al Gore (D) (until January 20, 2001) Dick Cheney (R) (from January 20, 2001) |
| House Majority | Republican |
| House Speaker | Dennis Hastert (R) |
The Republicans successfully defended all of their seats and won eight from the Democrats by defeating the incumbent Senators Harris Wofford (Pennsylvania) and Jim Sasser (Tennessee), in addition to picking up six open seats in Arizona, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
Some of the most significant shutdowns in U.S. history have included the 21-day shutdown of 1995–1996 during the Bill Clinton administration over opposition to major spending cuts; the 16-day shutdown in 2013 during the Barack Obama administration caused by a dispute over implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA
Congress OverviewDemocrats controlled Congress and the White House for the first time in 12 years after the 1992 elections.
Congress OverviewRepublicans retained their majorities in both chambers though their margin in the House eroded after the 1998 elections. J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois succeeded Georgia's Newt Gingrich as Speaker in the 106th Congress (1999–2001).
| Newt Gingrich |
|---|
| In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1999 |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Tom Foley |
| Succeeded by | Dennis Hastert |
| 117th United States Congress |
|---|
| Senate Majority | Republican (until January 20, 2021) Democratic (from January 20, 2021) |
| Senate President | Mike Pence (R) (until January 20, 2021) Kamala Harris (D) (from January 20, 2021) |
| House Majority | Democratic |
| House Speaker | Nancy Pelosi (D) |
The Constitution prescribes that the Senate be composed of two senators from each State (therefore, the Senate currently has 100 Members) and that a senator must be at least thirty years of age, have been a citizen of the United States for nine years, and, when elected, be a resident of the State from which he or she
Seven seats changed parties, with four incumbents being defeated. The Democratic majority in the Senate increased by one from 54–to–46 to 55–to–45.
1988 United States Senate elections.
| Leader | Robert Byrd | Bob Dole |
| Party | Democratic | Republican |
| Leader since | January 3, 1977 | January 3, 1985 |
| Leader's seat | West Virginia | Kansas |
| Seats before | 54 | 46 |
| President pro tempore of the United States Senate |
|---|
| Incumbent Patrick Leahy since January 20, 2021 |
| United States Senate |
| Style | Mr. President (when presiding) The Honorable (formal) |
| Seat | Senate chamber, United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. |
If the bill passes by simple majority (218 of 435), the bill moves to the Senate. Finally, a conference committee made of House and Senate members works out any differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The resulting bill returns to the House and Senate for final approval.
Current floor leadersThe Senate is currently composed of 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats, and 2 independents, both of whom caucus with the Democrats. The current leaders are Senators Chuck Schumer (D) of New York and Mitch McConnell (R) of Kentucky.
Reagan's large margin of victory over incumbent Jimmy Carter gave a huge boost to Republican Senate candidates, allowing them to flip 12 Democratic seats and win control of the chamber for the first time since the end of the 83rd Congress in January 1955.
1998 United States House of Representatives elections
| Leader | Newt Gingrich | Dick Gephardt |
| Party | Republican | Democratic |
| Leader since | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 1995 |
| Leader's seat | Georgia 6th | Missouri 3rd |
| Last election | 227 seats | 206 seats |
1998 United States Senate elections
| Leader | Trent Lott | Tom Daschle |
| Party | Republican | Democratic |
| Leader since | June 12, 1996 | January 3, 1995 |
| Leader's seat | Mississippi | South Dakota |
| Seats before | 55 | 45 |
2000 United States House of Representatives elections
| Leader | Dennis Hastert | Dick Gephardt |
| Party | Republican | Democratic |
| Leader since | January 3, 1999 | January 3, 1995 |
| Leader's seat | Illinois 14th | Missouri 3rd |
| Last election | 223 seats, 48.4% | 211 seats, 47.3% |
The Democratic Party won a majority in both chambers, giving them full control of Congress for the first time since the 103rd Congress in 1993, which was also the last time they controlled the House.
The 2004 elections increased the House Republican majority, kept the Senate closely divided, and re-elected President George W.
Party Whips
| Senator | Term |
|---|
| Trent Lott (R-MS) | 2007 |
| Jon L. Kyl (R-AZ) | 2008-2013 |
| John Cornyn (R-TX) | 2013-2019 |
| John Thune (R-SD) | 2019-present |
| 113th United States Congress |
|---|
| Senate Majority | Democratic |
| Senate President | Joe Biden (D) |
| House Majority | Republican |
| House Speaker | John Boehner (R) |
In the United States, divided government describes a situation in which one party controls the executive branch while another party controls one or both houses of the legislative branch. Opponents, however, argue that divided governments become lethargic, leading to many gridlocks.
Party-switching in the United States Congress (for example, from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party, or vice-versa) is relatively rare. During the period between 1947 and 1997, only 20 members of the House of Representatives and Senate switched parties.
The 109th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, from January 3, 2005 to January 3, 2007, during the fifth and sixth years of George W.
1992 United States Senate elections
| Leader | George Mitchell | Bob Dole |
| Party | Democratic | Republican |
| Leader since | January 3, 1989 | January 3, 1985 |
| Leader's seat | Maine | Kansas |
| Seats before | 57 | 43 |
